This Week at Liberty 02/08/2010

We're up to number 0086 for the year and climbing. Carl Price alone brought in 3 hawks today! Baby bunnies, midget accipiters, and hawk family assistance, plus the "Eagle surgery" special report - lots of stuff so let's get with it...

Another baby bunny comes in.

Worm pickin' is a rewarding hobby!

Well, it seems the local bunny population is living up to its stereotype - they're breeding like, well, rabbits! And now and then an orphan in the running for cutest animal of the week arrives, like this baby! This afternoon, the inside DC staff and Michelle got together for some "worm picking" which is a satisfying hobby for Liberty volunteers...

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A little HaHa comes in.

He's got an old, healed break.

As a testament to the care harris' hawk families give their young, this little guy arrived last week with what turned out to be an old fracture. It was old enough to have become totally healed on it's own! What's more, not only did he survive this flight-limiting injury, but his family fed him so well that he was actually on the chunky side! Just shows you what coming from the right family will do for you!

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Carl brings in a second young sharpie...

then brings in a third!

Carl outdid himself today as he brought in three accipiters! At least two are sharp-shinned hawks, the last being a diminutive bird that almost ties with the baby bunny for the cuteness award. You'd think an experienced hunter like this little old guy could avoid hitting windows, but you'd be wrong. (The dark red of his eyes indicate an older bird, unlike the light orange of the youngsters.)

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Jan prepares the anesthesia apparatus.

The table is readied and Dr.Orr scrubs.

Joe brings in the patient.

The anesthesia mask is in place.

Jan intubates the sleeping patient.

Now she's under...

Joe and Lori wrap her feet while Jan monitors her heart and breathing.

The incision is made.

Dr.Orr finds lots of dead tissue and bone fragments.

Jan flushes the area with saline.

Dr.Orr expertly sutures the opening.

Neatly closed!

But more damage is found on the top of the wing!

After it's over, Jan wraps the wing as Shannon monitors.

Waiting for her to wake up...

The bald eagle that came in a couple of weeks ago from the Flagstaff area was not doing well. She'd had surgery up in a Flagstaff clinic to install a pin in her wing but, while eating better after arriving at Liberty, did not seem to be healing. After new X-rays last week, Dr.Orr decided she needed more surgery. Late this afternoon, she was anesthetized and the wing was opened up again. Numerous necrotic bone fragments were found and removed from the site of the initial operation. This dead material was preventing her from mending satisfactorily. The area was cleaned and flushed, then the site was sutured shut. Upon examining the top of the wing, another wound was found with even more dangerously infected material. This was also cleaned out and flushed, after which the wing was treated with antibiotics and wrapped. Groggy from her hour-long surgery, she was placed in an inside enclosure to rest for the night. Apparently she was trying to heal, but there is an appreciable gap in the broken bone even though the pin is still in place. Although the chances of her flying again are dimming, we're all hoping another Liberty miracle will occur.